Heavy torrential rains pounded Eastern Kentucky last week. The second of a 1000-year rain event in one week, the first being the deluge in St. Louis, Mo., caused flash floods in the middle of the night, forcing people to seek higher ground for safety. Hundreds of houses and trailer homes have been destroyed.

This year, the Midwest Augustinians were blessed to receive an extraordinary grant of $53,000 from the Bernard Heerey Foundation of Chicago, to cover the annual costs for one retired friar in Assisted Living who had served in the city’s south side.

On Wednesday, June 8, Very Rev. Anthony B. Pizzo, O.S.A. was installed for his second four-year term as Prior Provincial during an Evening Prayer service at St. Rita Shrine Chapel. Presided by Vicar General Fr. Joseph Farrell, O.S.A., the installation served as the centerpiece of the 2022 Provincial Chapter begun on June 6 on the campus of St. Rita High School on Chicago’s southwest side.

On Tuesday, June 7, the 2022 Ordinary Provincial Chapter elected the Counselors, Treasurer, and Secretary of the Province to aid the Prior Provincial in his role of leading us for the next 4 years.

The 2022 lay honorees for our Augustinian Gala were long-time missions supporters Ed and Catherine Hennessy. They were kind enough to share with us the text of the speech they gave at our gala on Friday, April 22 at the Drake Hotel in Downtown Chicago